Mummy Murder Mystery Solved

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Solving a centuries-old murder mystery, researchers say Egyptian
king Ramesses III likely had his throat slit by conspirators in
his harem.

Moreover, the body of the pharaoh's traitorous son, Prince
Pentawere, may have finally been found.

Scholars have long been puzzled about the death of Ramesses
III, believed to have ruled from about 1186 B.C. to 1155 B.C.
during Egypt's 20th dynasty. While ancient papyrus court
documents show that members of the king's harem plotted to kill
him as part of a palace coup, it has remained unclear whether the
assassination scheme was successful.

Researchers revisited the mummy of Ramesses III looking for
answers. Their computed tomography (CT) scans revealed a serious
wound in his throat. (Horus was the patron god of kings in
ancient Egypt.)

"The large and deep cut wound in his neck must have been caused
by a sharp knife or other blade," the team wrote in a paper on
their findings, published in the British Medical Journal on
Monday (Dec. 17). They added that the cut, which severed his
trachea, esophagus and large blood vessels, would have killed him
instantly. [ See
Images of Ramesses III Mummy & Scans ]

The researchers also found an amulet bearing the
eye of Horus lodged in the mummy's throat and think it served
as a lucky charm.

"Most probably, the ancient Egyptian embalmers tried to restore
the wound during mummification by inserting the amulet (generally
used for healing purposes) and by covering the neck with a collar
of thick linen layers," the researchers wrote.

The conspiracy against Ramesses III is believed to have been led
by one of his wives, secondary queen Tiye, and Prince Pentawere,
their son. Ancient texts suggest Pentawere was found guilty at
trial, and then took his own life, but his body has never been
definitively identified.

The researchers of the new study also examined a mummy suspected
to be Pentawere, dubbed "unknown man E."

A genetic analysis of this mummy showed he shared the same
paternal lineage as Ramesses III, "strongly suggesting that they
were father and son," noted the researchers.

Because of his contorted expression, some scientists have
speculated that unknown man E was poisoned or
buried alive. The new analysis did not provide a more
conclusive cause of death, but they did find that his lungs were
overinflated, which could be a sign of death by suffocation or
strangulation, perhaps consistent with a suicide.

Man E was also buried in goat skin, a material regarded as
ritually impure in ancient Egypt. This might be interpreted as
evidence for a punishment in the form of a non-royal burial
procedure, the researchers said, concluding that man E is a "good
candidate" for Pentawere.